Recoil-operated firearm.



m. 43,933. Patented Feb. 2o, |900.

C. A. F. L. RSS. REG'GIL UPERMED FIREME.

` (Application led Apr. 80, 1897.)

3' Sheets-Sheet l.

@En Hodei.)

#A .1 l-- .nl l IIIIVILLIIIIII .Ill Illle Il.. J ny I l l l l x 1| 2a,mm.

Paiemmi Fab.

E. H. il.. Ef. L. ROSS.

sacan.. QPERATEQ Hmmm.

(Application led Apr. 30, 1897.)

' 3 sheets'- Sheet 2.

- No. 643,983. Pakmam Feb. 20, mw.

C. H. A. F. L. RUSS.

RECDIL OPERATED FiREBFl.

(Application filed Apr. 30, 1897.)

(nommer.) E5 a sammy-mm2 3.

CHARLES n. A. r. L. Ross, or BALNAGWAN oAsTLE, nose COUNTY,

- scorLAnn.

RECGiLf-PERTED FlRAfdl.

SPEGIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,983, dated FebruaryI20, 1900.

Application filed April 30. 1897.

To aZZ whom t .nm/y colmena:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY AU- GUsTUs FREDERICK LocKHARr Ross,baronet, of Balnagowan Castle, county of Ross, Scotland, have inventedcertain newand use- Ial improvements in Small-Arms and Machine-Guns,(for which I have obtained Letkters Patent in Great- Britain, No. 5,683,of March 13, 1896, on application filed March 13,

catch behind shoulders, are'looked together.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly insection, of a small-arm constructed according to my invention with thebreech closed, only so much being shown as is necessary to illustratethis invention. Fig. 2 is alonjgitudinal semion showing the breech pneu.Fig. 3 a section on the line 1 2, and-Fig. 4 is a section on `the line 34, both of Fig.`1. Fig. 5 shows in side and edge views the bolt-catch.Figs. 6, 7 8, 9, and 12 show detached views Vof the bolt as used for asmall-arm, and Figs. 10 and 1l show detached views of the bolt asemployed for a machine-gun. A

The present invention consists' more especially inthe means employed forrotating the bolt-head, though there are other features which aid tosimplify theconstruction. The barrel slides backward and forward in a.shoe, in which also the bolt is located, with the springs for operatingrthe bolt. The "barret spring is preferably outside the shoe. The

bolt consists of two parts-a sleeve and a rotating head. This head isprovided with two pins which fit into and work in spiral slots in thesleeve, and the movement of the sleeve in a forward direction rotates bymeans of these slots the bolt-head and causes it to lock linto thebarrel.

Serial llo. 634,558. (No model.)

The ,bolt and barrel recoil together locked and catch retains thesleeve. The barrel, which is still locked to the head, as it returnsdraws the head with it, and by reason of the 5 5 slots in the sleeve thehead is caused to rotate and unlock from the breech. The barrel thenruns forward and when near its normal position it releases the sleeve,which being propelled forward by its spring causes the head to againenter the breech.

The period of time vbetween the unlocking of the head and the releasingof the sleeve is suiiicient to allow a cartridge to rise from themagazine into the line of the bolt, which drives it into the barrel asit`goes forward.

On pulling the trigger the sleeve istdriven forward, (if it has nollbeolalready moved U0 the limitl of its movement in that direction and thusfirstrotatesthe head in thebreechpiece to lock it and then ree thecartridge by means of a firing-pin carried by the sleeve and projectingthrough the head, the parts being so arranged that the locking shall. besecurely effected before the pin strikes the cap.

When it is desired to load by hand, the barrel is jammed in the shoe inany convenient manner', and the bolt can be pulled back and drivenforward by a hand-lever secured to the sleeve, the diagonal slots inthesleeve serving to lock and unlock the head. A suitable extractor andejector' will be employed, and Athe cartridges will rise through a slotin the shoe in the usual manner.

A is the barrel, and A' represents one form of the barrel-spring,. whichis compressed `when the recoil takes place, as is now well understood.

A2 is the bolt-spring, which is attached to the bolt by a rod 'A8, andis shown outside the barrel for convenience; but it may be placed in anyother convenientposition. y

B is-a tubular shoe in which all the moving parts work, the said shoebeing bolted to the fore end B and supported at the rear end by abracket'B2, carried by the triggerplate or in any other suitable manner.-This shoe B is cut away at top for nearly its Whole length, andatbottom it has two slots B3 Bf, one for the cart/ridge to come throughfrom the magazine and the other for the hammer to work through. Besidesthese the shoe has a longitudinal slot in the side for a purpose to bepresently explained. i

The barrel A is screwed inte a breech-piece C, which is provided withatubular rearward extension. C', Which is cutaway at top and has twoslots in bottom corresponding to those of the shoe B. Near its forwardend the exten` sion C' of the breech-piece is recessed internally, as atC2, to form shoulders C3, and on each side of the inner face of theextension is formed a longitudinal groove c, extending rearwardly fromnear'the corresponding recess C210 the end of the extension. On theoutside of this extension are pins C4 C5, which both work in' the slotand are intended to operate on oppdsite sides of a catch, as will bepresently explained. In this breech eX- tension C works the holt, whichis formed of two 'parts-a sleeve and the bolt proper. D isthe sleevertowhich the handle D is firmly secured. n one side of thissleeve andextending forwardabout two-thirds of its length y, attached by means Vhaving wo lugs G3 from its rear en'd isafcather D2, which works in oneof thelongitudinalgroeves cof the extension C, and inlthe front end ofthis sleeve are twolinclined slots D3, the use of which will bepresently explained. On the top of the sleeve at its front endissecureda block E, which has on one side a feather E', to slide in theother of the longitudinal grooves c in the extension C', and alaterally-extending finger E2, whichoverlies ands'lides on the top edgeof thecut-away portion of both the shoe and the `extension C. To thislinger E2 in the present instance the bolt-spring or its rod is ofthe`\screw-pin E3.

'G is the bolt proper, which contains the firing-pin G' in the usual waY. The holt is formed with a headG2 of increased diameterthat is tosay,of the diameter of the sleeve.- on opposite sides, and at the rear end acollar G is screwed on. In front fof the collar is a loose ri igcarrying a radial pin G", onto which thecxtraetor [I is fitted. In thesides of thebolt are fitted pins il?, which work in theinclincd slotsI)3 of the sleeve D, so that by pushing thck, sleeveffot ward the holtis rotated on its axis.

The extractor ll consists of a strip of spring nictal slightly curved,so as to tit snugly against thesidc ot' the sleeve andithe boit head,and'pit has lits onto the pin (it of the `loose gring' G5. NVhen in itsproper position, the extractor lies ina notch'termed in the block F., aswill he seen inthe cud viewof the holt andslcevc, rig. t. over totridgc.

'lh'e locking-,lugs tl ol' the bolt-head (l2 cntcrlhe recesses (f/ot'the'hreccli-piece, and

at the proper niomcntthc bolt-head is rotat'ed, so that the lugs H wi Ilcatch behind the shoulders of the recess, and th us lock the lilcad tothe barrel. l

Fig. `7 shows the bolt in the unlocked ipoahofr; at its rear end whichlrl`he cud ol.' the strip is haninicrcd- Vorm a catch l'or the rini ol'the car-.

Fig. 1,) and this catch is shaped as shown"irr-` Frein Fig. l it thedetached views, Fig. 5. will be seen this catch spans the slot B", inwhich the pins C4 Ciel the extension C work, so that when the pin Cnstrikes the cam-face on the front side ofthe catch J the catch will heraised into the path of and will hold the finger E2 of the sleeve D.When the pin C4 strikes against the rear cam-face of the catch J, thecatch will be depressed, so as to free the finger E2 of the sleeve.

K is a pin fitted on the insideof the eXtension C', (see Fig, 2,) whichwill strike against the rim of the cartridge as the barrel and extensionC ge forward under the induence of the barrel-spring and the cartridgewill bc kicked out, so that this 'pin may be designatedthe ejector.

The operation of the parts will be as follows: Acartridge having beenfired, the recoil will cause the barrel to run back with the bolt lockeduntil the pin C5 strikes against the catch J. which will ybc raised tohold the finger E2. The compressed barrel-spring now acts to drive thebarrel forward, carrying with it the bolt-head. As the bolt-sleeve isheld by the catch J, the forwardmotion of the barrel will rotate thebolt-head by means of the pins Gi' and the slots I)3 and the head willbc thus unlocked, the barrel continuing its forward motion without thebolt. The extractor being stationary with the sleeve holds thecartridge-case until the forwardly-moving pin K strikes the rim andkicks the case out. A fresh cartridge now rises from the magazine (whichmay he of any Suitable kind placed in the space'L) into line with thebolt. The pin C4 now strikes theeatclrJ and draws it down, releasing thebeltfsleeve I), which is drawn forward by the bolt-spring. This drivesthe cartridge into the barrel andthe l olt-head into the y breech. Thecontinued forward movement of the sleeve Arotatcsthe bolt-head in theVrecess -C2 and causes the lugs G3 to take IOO IIO

behind the shoulders and the bolt is locked.

The arm is now ready forliring by pulling the trigger.Thehammerisautomaticallycockcd when thc parts'are driven back by therecoil. luv adapting the invention to a machinegun 'I may dispense withthe hammer and trigger;

scribed for the handgun.

It the hammer is not used, I adapt toy the sleeve l) a'n extension-pieceM in the form ol a stirrup, which carries a stu mp orpin M', and larrange the slots Diso as to close the breech alittle before the sleeveis homo, as indicated in Fig. l0. ment of the sleeve to get home willforce tho lhc continued forward movcbut in all other respects themechan- 'ism generally will he thev same as above dc- .firing-pin ontothe cap of the cartridge, and

The recoil willact to reload and and tho motion will continue as long asthus fire it. lire nini n hammer l eop prevenit-n the firing inloen'ed.and. a bi'eec'hboit r iii e thereto, ne z'zpniiention,

La :n w. fr :s

en? tnisni lie combination e, fr breech-bolt 1ongionvi'bndinnlly orjce'ring 'die breechof the nelly as (ie-- lepermcd gun, the combinationp shoe, of :i unich, a breeoirboli, .,r-.m'niiy mornbie in the i heerrer owing projeoiiime thereon nning the slot ""in ihe shoe with :iiixeii shoe, ie breech-piece, and i ENOUL beit-herein, the breeeh-boiteoinprisinga revolnbie belonen@ edepteo to be locked 'io and nnloeizelfrom the breech-piece by the longininni movement4 of the sleeve, and zicatch, thrown into engagement with the sleeve by ihe rearward :nlwerneo@ of the breech-piece and dinengegei by the forward movementthereof, and menne for returning the longiimdinellynnovnbie rie tonorma-i position when they have boei iriven rearwardly by the recoil,enbetnntinlly ne described.

in i breech mechanism for reooilfopermed guns, the eoiniinntion with afixed and sloisied shoe havinggnides on the exterior surface hereof, acntoh eiiing in the said guides and. spanning the slot in l:Ehe Shoe,the seid caieh having correspondingiy-incline driving-faces on theopposite sides thereof, a breech-piece longitudinally movable in theshoe and having pins thereon projecting through ille :slotv hereof andcontacting with the opposite drivinginces of the catch, and abreech-bolt longitudinally movable in the Shoe and having n projectionlohereon engaged by the catch and disengaged ironi the catch, according':is the latter has been driven by one or 'the other of the pins upon thebreechpiece, snbs'ieniinlly as described.

6. in n breech mechanism for firearms the eonibinntion with n.breech-piece, of. ai headed breech-bolt, ionized to the breech-pieceby'n rointive movement, a firing-pin contained in iii-e heauleiibifeeii-'Uuii/ und j 'JlOjeuifing i0 iiile thereof, a sleevelongitudinally 'movable in respect ilo sani firing-boli, anni inning :inanvil no contact with iune rem end of the iiring-pin, and e projectionand n spiral slot for rotating he breech-bolty by the longitudinalmotion of the sleeve, Ehe slot having n longitnclinal extension topermit the continued movement oi the sleeve after the bolt has beenlooked, whereby lie iirng-pin will be notnnieai, snbsientiaily 21sescribed.

HARLES H. A. U. L. ROSS. i iilnesses:

@Liu-'ER DURANT, Josnri B. 'n.IoAn'iiioie.

